Anything Less
by Monsieur Mimi
Summary: After a calm day, Riff and Cain have a revealing talk


My 13th fanfiction! Yay! The reason why I say 'master Cain' instead of Cain-sama, is because the story is set in England and so I want to make it feel less 'Japanese'. So please don't complain. ^_^;

Disclaimer: I do not own Count/Earl Cain. I do not own Riff, Cain or Merryweather. It is completely Kaori Yuki's and this is just a piece of fiction written by a fan of the series.

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The wind sent ripples through the yellow-green grass as the sun beamed down upon the garden. The sky was light and pastel blue, dotted with cotton clouds. Across this wide sky, red and green dots of vibrant colour, attached to long strings floated. The happy rolling sound of a child's giggles, slid through the air.

Merryweather raced through the gardens, clinging to the string of her scarlet kite, her face twisted in mirth. Filled with the energies only a child could have on a rarely hot day such as this (Though hot, it was surprisingly windy, the winds warm and dry). "Brother Cain!" She cried out, "Brother Cain! Look how high my kite is going today! Look, brother Cain!"

Cain stood, his pose almost poignant, still as he held the string of his own green kite and watched his younger sister. His expression was almost unreadable, the sun making those green touched with golden eyes shine. He stood a few steps away from the shade of a young tree, under which, the familiar figure of Riff stood, and next to him a picnic basket. The valet's eyes were watching his master and his young sister.

"Brother Cain! You're not doing it properly! If you run, your kite will go really really high!" Merryweather was running in circles now, her skirts flying everywhere, her long hair falling in her face. "I'm better then brother Cain!" She began to laugh gleefully.

Riff tried to hide his smile, and took a step towards Cain, placing his hand on his master's shoulder. Cain glanced briefly in acknowledgement of Riff's presence, and then turned to watch his sister again. One could tell Cain wasn't eager about running around holding his kite, which was blowing pathetically near the ground.

"Riff…" he said, taking Riff's hand from behind and placing the kite string in Riff's palm. "You play with Merryweather for a while. I desire to be in the shade."

Riff was a little taken aback, but he gave a quick nod of his head. "Of course, master Cain. Though…" he paused, unsure of whether what he was about to add was a tad rude. "I'm sure your sister would prefer your company to mine…"

Cain blinked a little at the tall man, and gave him a small smile. He then retreated to where Riff had been standing before, under the safe arms of the tree. Merryweather had stopped to watch her brother and Riff's exchange. Pulling her kite behind her like one would do to a disobedient puppy, she marched up to Riff. "Are you going to play kites with me now? Because Cain doesn't like that sort of thing?"

Flustered, Riff replied. "Y…yes, Mistress Merryweather"

From the tree, Cain tried to hide his small smile. Merryweather clapped her hands gleefully, causing her kite to jerk. "I'll teach you how to fly a kite properly, Riff!" Her voice then changed to that of an "expert". "You grip your kite tightly and wind it around your hand like this… and then you run with your arm out, so it can go really high!"

She folded her arms, waiting for Riff to follow her instructions. Riff, now extremely embarrassed to have to behave like a child when he knew that Cain was watching from the shadows of the tree. Nervously and clumsily, Riff held out his kite string and began to run as fast as his long lean legs could carry him. Merryweather was ecstatically pleased, and started to run along with him.

Cain allowed Riff to be tortured with the game for ten minutes before intervening. He couldn't help but smile at Riff's embarrassed expression, and Merryweather was grinning widely. When Cain was certain Riff could take no more, he called out.

"Merryweather! Riff! We should eat the picnic that Riff has prepared for us…" he gestured to the basket.

The two stopped the game (much to Riff's intense relief), and Riff wound up the two kites, and placed them carefully by the trunk of the tree. Merryweather ran joyously to where her brother was waiting. Riff laid out the picnic-blanket, so that the two Hargreaves would not have their clothes spoiled, and then he proceeded to lay out cakes, sandwiches, sausage rolls, and other picnic foods. The two waited while he went inside the manor to get tea for himself and Cain and apple juice for the young Merryweather (Who believed it was silly to drink tea on a hot day such as this). Eventually he sat down beside them.

"Cherry cake!" Cried out Merryweather, beginning to reach out to take some, before Cain placed a hand on her arm.

"The sandwiches first, Merryweather. Then the cake." Cain said, dealing with his sister with that gentle voice he seemed to use for her. Cain quietly began to sip his tea, and Riff watched the two. Merryweather was biting up her sandwiches quickly and hungrily, and she paused to look at Riff.

"Aren't you having anything, Riff?" She asked.

Riff smiled at Cain's young sister. "I prepared the picnic for the pleasure of Master Cain and Mistress Merryweather" Riff then proceeded to hand Merryweather a napkin in case she spilt anything. Cain's unmistakable eyes locked on Riff, but he said nothing.

Later, as the picnic ended, Merryweather, who had been babbling and chattering happily all the way through, was taken by her tutor for lessons. Merryweather was protesting strongly as usual. Riff was beginning to clear away the picnic things. Cain was watching him. As Riff straightened the picnic-blanket, preparing to fold it, he saw that his master Cain was still there, watching him intently.

"Master Cain!" Riff said, surprised. "Do not feel you need to stay, I am sure you have important business to attend to…"

Cain shook his head. "No, Riff, in fact today was one of the rare days where I had virtually nothing to plague my mind. Precisely why I chose today to spend with the company of you and Merryweather". He abstractly stared up at the small blossoms on the tree, though there were few. Although Riff was packing away the things, his eyes never left Cain.

"I am honoured you chose to spend the time with myself…" Riff said, he managed to pack away everything and set the picnic basket on the ground.

Cain glanced at Riff almost sharply. "Don't say that, Riff!" Riff was almost taken aback at Cain's almost harsh tones. "Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" Riff, remained silent, facing Cain, whose witch-like eyes stared almost through him. An uncomfortable silence followed.

Riff, who normally would wait for Cain to break the silence, felt too uncomfortable so he said: "I mean, sir, I would feel uncomfortable interrupting if you wanted just to spend time with Merryweather. With your family…" He glanced downwards, but still made no attempt to pick up the neglected picnic basket. The wind rustled through the trees as the sun began to droop around cotton clouds.

Cain took a step closer to Riff. "You are my family too, Riff. I have known you far longer then Merryweather…"

Riff's cheeks tinted with pink, but then returned to his usual pale colour. "M…master Cain!" He stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say. Cain took another step closer, and was now right directly in front of Riff, and Riff found it difficult to ignore is incessant gaze.

"You do know that, don't you, Riff?" Cain asked, his voice sounding almost younger, more innocent. "You're closer than blood to me. Riff…" Cain faltered, and looked away, his hair falling across his boyish features. For a second, he almost looked young, and vulnerable. And then he became the intelligent Cain again, his eyes sparkling.

Riff nodded, and smiled softly. "Of course I know, master Cain"

Cain looked back at Riff. He smiled. "Thank you for playing with Merryweather today. She has few companions of her own age, and honestly, I could not see me running around flying a kite…!" Riff looked away, and that pink tint returned to his cheeks. Cain suddenly realized that he had no desire to return in doors today. "Leave the picnic basket here, Riff, I want to walk around the grounds…"

"Yes, Master Cain" said Riff.

As Cain walked, Riff walked closely beside him. They did not talk, nor look at each other, but enjoyed each other's company, nonetheless. The sun bobbed almost in and out of its hiding place in the clouds, and the sky seemed to take an almost grey tone at times. Eventually they ended up at the tree that they had started from.

Suddenly, and without any visible warning, Cain suddenly clutched the front of Riff's shirt, pulling him towards him. Riff was taken aback at first, but then cautiously put his arms around Cain. He noticed how cold and fragile Cain's body seemed, and immediately took off his long jacket and wrapped it around Cain's shoulders. Cain trembled, and held Riff more tightly.

"Master Cain?" Riff was anxious now. "What is it, master Cain?"

Cain now held Riff almost possessively, but turned his head to the left so that his face wasn't hidden in Riff's cautious embrace. "How long does this last, Riff?" His voice was unusual; it was very soft and quiet. It was almost lost in the wind, but Riff heard him.

Soothingly, Riff touched Cain's hair. "How long does what last, Master Cain?"

"_This_" said Cain. "All of this. You… me… Merryweather… we're all happy, are we not? Both of you are by my side… We are allowed happy moments such as the picnic today… But I don't know if I truly deserve them, and if I did, then they'll just trickle away from me…" His voice trailed off, and he listened to the rhythmic pattern of Riff's breathing, and his soft, pounding heart beats.

Riff shut his eyes, and held Cain tightly. "Are you implying that you don't deserve us? That we'll get taken away from you?"

Cain nodded slightly, his cheek still pressed against Riff's shirt. There was a moment of silence before he said: "I can't even make you both happy. And I'll die alone like father said…"

Riff felt a flare of anger suddenly spark inside him, which surprised him. That foolish, beast of a man… and the affect he had on Cain just made him furious. But being the calm and gentle man that Riff was, he held it in, and continued to stroke Cain's hair. "Your father is wrong…"

Cain pulled away from Riff, wrapping Riff's jacket more firmly around his shoulders. "…But is he, Riff?" his eyes stared almost pleadingly up at Riff. "I'm a vile person. And everything… everyone that I love will just get stripped away with me…"

Then, Riff did something that surprised both of them. It was so unlike him, that even Riff himself was taken aback. Riff clutched Cain's shoulders, almost aggressively, and shook Cain. "What nonsense!" his voice was strong, and then it returned to being soft again. He suddenly knelt before Cain, so that Cain looked down at him. His arms fell from Cain's shoulders, and took Cain's cold hands instead. He brought his own hands around Cain's as if to warm them. "Even if everything you love gets taken away from you, I'll still be here, waiting for you… I'll always be there… By your side… And you should never expect anything less of me…!" He pressed one of Cain's hands against his cheek. "Promise me that you'll never expect anything less…"

"Riff…" Cain whispered.

The clouds finally conquered the sun, and orange rays reached out across, silhouetting the tree.

The wind stopped blowing.

- FIN -


End file.
